Need Help in North Las Vegas Nevada replacing battery (Not Urgent... Sometime in Next 2 Weeks)

[FalconAF]

Problem: Need help replacing my battery. I can't get the old one out of my 2018 RTL (limited mobility due to extended medical care). Hoping there is a local Las Vegas rider who can assist me.

Reason Assistance Needed: I haven't been riding (much), or really much of anything else either, since I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in February 2023. Nine months of local Las Vegas treatments did not stop tumors recurring. I started commuting (by auto) on a regular basis in December 2023 to Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. Original treatments available there did not work. I entered a clinical study program in January 2025 and THAT has finally (at least for now) prevented new tumors returning. One of two things is going to happen now. I'm going to continue in the clinical study with future treatments for 3 more years, OR if new tumors return, I may be facing a major surgery (radical cystectomy... Google it if you really want to know the grizzly details about it). So...

I'm moving to Phoenix out of necessity to be closer to my 3 years of recurring Mayo Clinic treatments (or possible major surgery). I've had my 2018 RTL on a battery tender in my garage at all times, AND was taking it out for short "keep the fluids circulating" neighborhood rides for the past 2 years (was unable to go on longer rides). That has always worked fine until now. I tried to start it a couple days ago and it is totally dead. Turn the ignition key and nothing happens. I never planned on riding it to Phoenix for the move, but plan to ship it (there is no way I COULD ride it there myself right now). But it's locked in gear and I can't even MOVE it unless I can start it now (I think). So I tried to take the old battery out to buy a replacement, but I can't get it out after removing the 2 cover bolts and the 2 terminal screws. The clamp that holds the battery in place is "stuck" and I can't "undo" it to release the battery. I have limited mobility myself due to my current cancer treatments (bladder cancer treatment side effects really, REALY suck!) I can get the Spyder trailered to Phoenix by a commercial transport company, but they say I MUST be able to start it so it can be driven on and off the trailer. ADDITIONALLY, I haven't had the most current RECALL service done for it yet ("Engine Output Shaft Can Break"), so I wouldn't even consider asking someone else to risk riding it to Phoenix for me.

I'm hoping I'll still be able to start riding it again in Arizona AFTER I get it there and have a full service done on it AND get the Recall service done in Phoenix.

Are there any local North Las Vegas, NV members here who could assist me in getting the current battery removed and a new one installed? I'll even pay a fair market fee for any help.

Rick

 

[Woodaddict]

Hi Rick, I thought you already sold it!! Sorry to hear about the bladder problem, but that's amazing you can be part of a study to help you get better.

I don't think I would even try to make that battery better!! Spyder's are power hungry, and a one time start could lead to problems when you try to start it again cause of non use. There is Joe from this forum right in your city, but he's on the whirl wind 2025 model year tour for BRP. So he's NOT there to help you.

IF!!!! you had someone to ride it for you after a new battery, that output shaft is not an imminent problem, or the odds of it happening are actually LOW. Also the gas could be a problem that old without some fresh gas in it. Might need some seafoam or equivalent treatment for old gas.

The battery has a rubber stretch cord going to top metal clamp. YES, its a bear to get out. That top clamp pushes up far enough to come undone from the back tabs that hold it in place. After that is out, takes a lot of muscle to RAISE UP the battery and pull out. It does not just slide out, it sits in a pocket down a little bit. Get a buddy to do the grunt work. You can also use a mirror with a good flashlight to see better. Another help, is take out the 4 bolts that hold the front trunk lid in place, this will allow you to then be right in front without obstruction.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Not good to hear about the cancer kicking on, I do hope the Study/Treatment works for you. I'd gladly come to help, if only I wasn't so far away - because I'm a bit of a wreck too, most people come to me, but I don't think that'd be any easier in this case!

However, if you accept that your current battery is dead, which it probably is, given what you've told us (is it the MotoBatt you installed in Feb 2020?) have you tried to give it a jump start or even just a good charge (probably won't last much longer than 1 start and 30 minutes of running tho... ) to see if that might be juuust enough to start it and ride it to a Battery shop to get them to install a replacement? If you're lucky, they might even come to you and fit the new battery for you! We've got Battery retailers here in Oz who'll do the 'Remove & Refit' at their shop for free; and some of those come to you and do the 'Remove & Refit' at your place, sometimes for free, altho usually for a small price.

I had the local 'Battery World' retailer out to my Son's place just a couple of days ago - Son usually gets home after dark, but got home early the other day, so he got out of his car and left the lights on cos it was still bright daylight with the shed door open, and he got mobbed by kids before he shut the door so he didn't pay attention! Of course, that meant he couldn't start the car the next morning and cos it can't be roll started, he called me at some ungodly hour (well before 11:00! ) for a jump start. So dragged my sorry arse outta the pit; went round; found out that even with a healthy jump pack, boiling water; and some 'charge equalisation' time, it still wouldn't start readily; so I called the battery bloke and let my Son take my car while I waited for the battery.

I will admit that I send a lot of business this Battery bloke's way, and I buy various car & bike batteries waaaayyy more often than most... But, that aside, the tech was there within 1 & 1/2 hours of my call with a new battery that'd been on a 'Rapid Charger' for most of that time (but it still hadn't had a 'proper charge', so I was reminded repeatedly to give it a good & proper charge on a real charger, not a tender, within the next 24 hours, even if I did drive it all that day!) He first checked and then load tested the old battery (instead of 12 volts, it had just under 6 volts static charge showing, and that dropped thru the floor under starting load!); then did the Remove & Refit; checked that the new battery started everything OK; checked & tightened the fan belt just to be sure; checked the charge voltage & charging system too (all good); and was on his way back to the shop within 40 minutes of arriving; leaving me with a new, good quality & better capacity than OEM battery (an Australian made Yuasa) that has a 40 month warranty, all for juuust a little bit less in the way of $$ than it would've cost me to buy the same battery and get it delivered off the internet - and I didn't hafta wait 2-4 days for delivery! So I brought Son's car home and put it on the charger for the next 8 hours!

I ALWAYS try to use local Retailers if I can; send people to them too, at every opportunity; and do so ESPECIALLY if they provide that ^ level of customer service - buying from the local mobs usually works out to be about the same price or cheaper in the long run when compared to buying online, what with cheap knock-offs, delivery fees, warranty issues, return fees yada, yada, yada; and it also means that the local retail outlet is less likely to shut up shop, so they'll be there for me if I have any hassles; PLUS, they tend to help me out with things like this cos they know me and appreciate my business and the business I send their way!

Might be worth a shot, even if it does cost a little more?!

 

[Jetfixer]

Like Peter above, I'd gladly help but you are very far away. Hope someone out that way steps up, because it's really not that hard.

 

[FalconAF]

Well, I managed to get the old battery out earlier today. Yes Peter, it was the MotoBatt from 2020. I had forgotten that when my nephew-in-law had helped me install the MotoBatt we had to slightly bend the OEM battery clamp to make it fit over the slightly wider top dimension of the MotoBatt. It still held the battery in place fine, but was a LOT more "snug" than on the OEM battery. So it took a little more "creative persuasion" to get the clamp off to remove the MotoBatt battery (no, I didn't have to break anything to do it, but did need a small band-aid on one of my fingers after it was done ). I have a new battery on the way from Lamonster that is the same dimensions as an OEM one that should be here Thursday. I think the battery retainer clamp will still hold it in place well enough to just have the Spyder shipped to Phoenix as planned. Will just have to be able to ride the Spyder onto and off of a transport trailer, then after I get settled in at my new house I'll just have whatever dealer I take the Spyder to for the drive shaft recall and an all-inclusive maintenance service put a new OEM battery retainer clamp on it too if needed. The "old gas" hopefully shouldn't be a problem, but I'll put a dose of Seafoam or Stabil in it just as a precaution too. I was taking the Spyder out for short rides around my sub-division on a regular basis, but nothing over a few miles at a time, nor out on the open roads at highway speeds, etc. It wasn't practical or feasible to try to ride it any more than that when I had to pee every 15 minutes because of the medical treatments I was receiving. Heck, the 5-hour drives home from Phoenix in my car after each commute for the treatments was enough "fun" having to pull over to the side of the road every 30-ish miles to use the "container" I carried with me for those occasions (the distances between restrooms out here in the desert southwest can be far, far apart when you really need them ). So as long as the Spyder starts up after I install the new battery I should be OK to get it transported to Phoenix to get it serviced before started to routinely ride it again. We'll see what happens when I install the new battery in a couple days.

Thanks for all the insights provided.